Every day, many Americans get hurt or ill, and they will need some medical attention. A nearby party can look up local convenient care by typing in “urgent care centers near me”, for example,and they can find a pediatric urgent care center if a child or baby has suffered a minor medical condition. Meanwhile, if the patient is badly injured or in dire condition, a walk in clinic will not do; it is time for 24 hour emergency care. It should be noted that emergency care and urgent care are two different things, and they are meant for adult patients. A child in need will require a pediatric urgent care center, or the pediatric ward of a hospital for more serious cases. What should someone know about urgent care clinics for adults and pediatric clinics for their children? And what sort of medical cases call for emergency care?
Pediatric Urgent Care
As mentioned above, regular walk in clinics expect patients aged 18 and over, so if a child, toddler, or baby needs non-emergency medical care, then a pediatric urgent care center is the right call. Parents can look these up online, and then pay a visit. Take note that not all such clinics are open 24 hours a day, so if the young patient needs help at an odd time of day, the parents should look for a 24-hour pediatric urgent care center in particular. At such a clinic, pediatricians can examine a patient and diagnose a problem, and offer treatment. Pediatricians are experts on the anatomy and health needs of patients under 18, including babies, and the parents can describe any symptoms or circumstances leading up to the visit. A child should be taken to a pediatric urgent care center, for example, if he or she suffered a high fever, vomited repeatedly, suffered a rash or skin burn, or has ear pain (possibly due to an ear infection). A pediatrician can offer medicinal relief for the child and advise the parents on medical treatment at home for a full recovery.
Adult Urgent Care
Meanwhile, grown patients who need urgent medical care are in good hands, since the American urgent care business is quite large despite its young age. Since the year 2000, a few thousands walk in clinics have been built across the nation, and these are small, independent medical facilities staffed with physicians and nurse practitioners who can treat a wide variety of non-emergency medical problems. Many of these clinics are found built into strip malls, while other are built into retailers (retail clinics), and yet others are located inside hospitals. A clinics that is running smoothly may see three patients per hour or so.
Many Americans visit these clinics during influenza season for medicinal relief from the common cold and flu, and it is routine for guests to visit the clinic’s pharmacy (especially at retail clinics). Four in five urgent care centers can provide treatment for bone fractures, and practically all of them can provide care for ankle or wrist sprains as well. The nurse practitioners and physicians on staff can treat shallow cuts with stitches and bandages, and offer lotion and ointment for skin rashes and sunburn. Upper respiratory issues are another common reason why Americans visit urgent care centers nearby.
Emergency Care
A patient will need emergency care services if they have been badly injured, or if their medical case could become life-threatening. This is where emergency clinics and a hospital’s ER can help. For example, a patient has suffered a broken arm or a leg, or they have sustained an injury to the head or eyeballs. Or, the patient has suffered stab wounds or bullet wounds that are bleeding heavily, and they need doctors and surgeons to control the bleeding. Chest pain and difficulty breathing also merit a visit to the ER, and the same is true of a recent heart attack or stroke. Only emergency care can stabilize such a patient. It should be noted, though, that the ER is not a catch-all healthcare area; it is best reserved for patients with dire need. Besides, it is expensive and time consuming to visit them for minor medical problems, which can be treated faster and more cheaply at an urgent care center instead.
